Catch You Today, Kiss You Tomorrow
by Mishakal
Summary: Part 1 of a fic that will be three parts long if people like it. Anyway, this involves a race (more like a chase, actually) with a pretty interesting prize. Ash doesn't seem too happy...
1. Default Chapter Title

**Catch You Today, Kiss You Tomorrow**   
by Mishakal 

**Part 1: A Not-So-Tempting Offer**

A/N: My first ever Pokemon fic. *sweatdrop* How many people think that I might own Pokemon? Anyone? Good. Why would I write fan fiction if I owned the characters? If I did, you'd all be watching this on the show. 

Anyway, on with the fic. 

  


  
"_What!?_" Ash Ketchum stared at the sign in front of him with an expression that was half shocked, half horrified. "I... don't believe it! How could they do this?" 

"All right!" Brock and Misty shouted at the same time. Ash scowled at them. 

The sign read:   


'Big Race Today! 

As part of our summer's-end celebration, this town is hosting   
an outdoor semi-formal ball with an admission charge of $25 per   
couple. Admission rates include dinner and refreshments available   
throughout the evening. The ball begins tomorrow night at 7pm sharp. 

In accordance with this, a race has been organized for this   
afternoon. ALL MALES IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE AGES OF 10 AND 30 MUST   
PARTICIPATE. If caught by a female, the male must accompany her to   
the ball. Female participation is optional.' 

"That's not fair!" Ash grumbled. "What if some guy doesn't have $25? He couldn't take a girl to the ball then, could he?" 

"Well, do _you_ have $25?" Misty asked pointedly. 

"...yeah..." Ash admitted reluctantly. 

"There you go," she said smugly. "And even if the guy _doesn't_ have any money, the girl might." 

"Maybe." Ash frowned. "Well, we should get out of here quick, before they make _us_ go in this race!" He turned to leave but was brought up short by Misty's hand grabbing the collar of his shirt. 

"Not so fast, Mr. Pokemon Master," she said, grinning. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a group of girls!" 

"I'm not afraid!" Ash protested. "But there's no way I'm taking some dumb girl to a ball!" 

"_I_ will!" Brock was grinning like an idiot. "I'm hoping that some beautiful, lonely young lady will catch me! It'll be great!" 

"Great?" Ash repeated. "It'll be horrible! I bet they even make you dance! And wear a suit!" He shuddered. 

"I'm glad you like the idea!" Misty said cheerfully to Brock, ignoring Ash. "Because we're going in. Come on." She marched toward the city, not releasing Ash's shirt collar. 

"Hey!" Ash protested. "Wait! No fair! LET GO!!!" 

Misty let go, and sighed. "Now what's the matter?" 

"There's no way I'm getting hooked into taking a _girl_ to a _ball!_" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not going into that city, and that's final!" 

* * *

"Welcome to the city!" Officer Jenny smiled at the travelers. "You're just in time for our end-of-summer ball. We'll enter your names for the race right away." 

Misty beamed. Brock grinned. Ash scowled. 

"Is there any way I can get out of this?" he demanded. Misty frowned and poked him. 

"Nope," Officer Jenny replied cheerfully. "Have a nice day, folks!" 

"She's really pretty," Brock commented, watching Officer Jenny move away. "I wish _she_ was in the race." 

"I don't think she'd be chasing Brock if she was," Misty said, behind her hand. 

"I hope no one chases me," Ash said fervently. 

"Oh, come on," Misty teased. "I'm sure there must be _someone_ who wants you as their date. Just because I've never met them doesn't mean they don't exist." 

"Very funny," Ash grumbled. "And I hope you're wrong. The _last_ thing I want is to be caught and dragged off to some dumb ball!" 

"Pika?" Pikachuu asked. 

"Don't ask, Pikachuu," Ash sighed. "A ball is just so that girls can torture guys by making them get all dressed up and dance all night." 

"Kaa." Pikachuu flipped one of its ears. 

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Officer Jenny hurried back, and handed Misty a rope. "You'll need this for the race." 

"What's it for?" Misty asked. 

"Catching your guy, of course." Officer Jenny smiled. "You just use it like a lassoe." 

"A lassoe?" Ash repeated incredulously. 

"She can lassoe me any day!" Brock sighed, watching Jenny. 

Ash looked back toward the road leading out of the city. "I wonder if it's too late to make a run for it." 

* * *

"AAGGHH!!" Ash screamed, as he felt a rope tightening around his upper body, pinning his arms to his sides. "NO!" 

"Well, there's no need to scream, Ash!" Misty said calmly, recovering her lassoe. "Anyway, I need the practice. HAH!" She threw the rope again, catching Brock from behind. "Gotcha!" 

Ash grumbled and brushed himself off. "Why are you always practicing on _me_? You only lassoed Brock twice." 

"You move around more than Brock," Misty explained sweetly. "So it's better practice." She seemd to be taking a kind of twisted pleasure in the whole business, Ash noted grouchily. 

"What time does the race start?" Brock asked, pulling Misty's lassoe over his head. 

"In about 15 minutes," Misty said. "We should start heading over there now." 

"I think I'm sick..." Ash started to say in a quesy-sounding voice, but Misty cut him off by grabbing his arm and pulling him after her. 

"Too bad. I guess that makes you easy meat, huh? Come on, guys, let's go!" 

"Well, well, look who's here." An auburn-haired boy smirked at the approaching trio. "Didn't think I'd see _you_ around here, Ash." 

"Gary?" Ash blinked. "What are you doing here?" 

Gary grinned. "Finding out which one of my cheerleaders is lucky enough to catch me. How about you? Are you here by choice or did your followers have to force you?" 

"I -- " 

"The cheerleaders are here?" Brock looked around. "Where? Where?" 

"Oh the girls' side, which reminds me..." Gary raised an eyebrow at Misty. "You don't belong here. The girls are over there." He pointed. 

Misty frowned, but left without commenting. 

"Do you think it's too late to run?" Ash asked Brock, but the second the words were out of his mouth, a gate slammed shut behind them. 

The race was about to begin. 

  


TO BE CONTINUED...

  


So, who do you think is going to catch Ash and Brock?   
Who do you think Misty will catch?   
Is anyone interested in finding out?   
Did you like the story? 

Then review, for gosh sakes!!!!! 

Because the number of reviews determines whether or not I post a sequel... 

~Mishakal~


	2. Part 2: The Race

  
"I don't like this!" Ash hopped from one foot to the other anxiously. "It's like being in a rodeo as one of the horses! Why do they have to use lassoes, Brock?" He grabbed handfuls of Brock's shirt. "WHY?" 

"Hey, calm down, Ash." Brock brushed away the younger boy's hands. "It's not the end of the world, you know. So you might have to go on a date with some girl. It's not like you have to kiss her or anything..." 

"Attention, please!" Officer Jenny's voice said over the loudspeaker. "One of our contestants has requested that we add something to the terms of the race. If captured, the male will now have to take the female to the ball _and_ finish the evening off with a goodnight kiss. Punishment of the female's choice will be given to any male refusing to go along." 

"Oh joy!" Brock exulted. 

"Oh NO!" Ash wailed, in horror. 

"The race will now begin!" Jenny continued. The gates leading to the racing area creaked open. "Males have a thirty-second head start! GO!" 

The crowd started to move. Ash tried to get to the side as everyone started to split up. _Maybe if I just stick close to Brock... Brock?_ The older trainer had disappeared. 

"Brock?" Ash called, but he could hardly hear himself over other people's yells. _Aaa.. no time for that! Gotta run!_

Heart pounding, the young Pokemon trainer joined a few others in heading for a wooded area off to one side. _Let's just hope Misty was right and none of the girls want to catch me!_

His hopes were to go unfounded. Even at that moment, a pair of feminine eyes followed his every move. Beneath those eyes, the girl's lips curled in a wicked smile. 

Ash blundered through the trees. _All right,_ he told himself. _I'll bet I can hide somewhere in here! Maybe after a while, everyone else will get caught and the race will end! Then I can..._

"Attention, everyone!" Officer Jenny's voice announced. "The girls may begin their chase... NOW!" 

"GA-AH!" Ash dove for the bushes, picturing a herd of girls coming straight for him. "C'mon, Pikachuu!" he yelled, running for all he was worth. "We can't let anyone catch us!" 

The smile of earlier grew into a smug little smirk, and sharp eyes caught on Ash's retreating figure. The girl followed, twirling her lassoe around her fingers in anticipation. 

_If I can just find a good hiding place,_ Ash reasoned, _Then I can wait until the race ends and come out after!_ He grinned to himself. _Then I won't have to go to that dumb ball!_

It seemed like a flawless plan. 

"I'd... better find... a really good hiding place... huh... Pikachuu?" he panted, still running. 

"Pika," Pikachuu agreed, running beside him. 

"Look for a cave or a tall tree!" Ash shouted, eyes darting about. "We need a place to sit this one out!" 

"Pikapi! Pika pika chuu!" 

"Huh? Where?" Ash followed Pikachuu as his Pokemon started off in a different direction. His face lit up. "A cave! Good work, Pikachuu!" 

"Pikachuu!" 

Ash dove into the cave opening, pulling the rest of his body inside and crouching near the entrance. "Whew!" He beamed. "We made it, Pikachuu! Now all we've gotta do is wait for the race to end, and we can get out of here without having to worry." 

"Kaa!" Pikachuu nodded agreement. 

Ash grinned, congratulating himself on a successful escape. Outside, he heard shouts and laughter and all kinds of squealing and scuffling sounds in the distance. _Boy,_ he thought. _It's a good thing I'm not out there!_ As the minutes ticked by, though, the noise from outside started to grow fainter. 

"I wonder how long the race lasts," Ash mused. "Hmm..." He thought for a minute. "Pikachuu, can you check and see if it's safe for me to come out?" 

"Pika." Pikachuu hopped outside. A few seconds later, Ash heard it call back, "Chuu!" 

"Is it safe?" he asked. 

"Kaa!" 

"OK." Ash rose. "I'm coming out." _I hope the race is over,_ he thought, heading out of the cave and back into the forest. _I wonder if Brock's been caught yet. Or if Misty's caught anyo --_

"HAH!" Ash felt rather than heard the word, in the form of a rope clenching around his arms and upper body. The rope tightened, and Ash, too stunned to resist, fell into a sitting position with a 'thump'. 

"Wha... AAAAGGGHHH!!!" Ash yelled. "No way! Let go! Hey!" He struggled uselessly against his bonds, and felt himself being dragged backwards. 

"I don't wanna go to any dumb ball!" Ash wailed, twisting around to get a look at his captor. She was just a slender, shadowy form from his position. "Aaaa... let go!" 

One large tug pulled him back to where his assailant stood, now fully visible. Ash gasped, and his eyes went wide. 

"_Misty!?_" 

"Gotcha," she announced smugly, her superior grin just as infuriorating as ever under the playful blue eyes and brilliant orange hair. 

"_Misty?_" Ash said again, incredulously. He blinked -- once, twice, then several times in a row. "B-but I thought..." he stuttered weakly. 

"Well, you thought wrong," she announced cheerfully, still grinning from ear to ear. "And now you're caught. That's tough, huh, Ash? Better luck next time." She laughed. 

"GAH... no fair!" he wailed. "This wasn't supposed to happen! I should be safe and the race should be over and you should be..." He blinked again. "Well, somewhere else!" 

"Well, you're not, it's not and I'm not." Misty grinned wickedly at him. "Now, are you going to walk or am I going to have to drag you all the way there?" 

Ash pictured himself being dragged to the finish line with Gary and all the other guys laughing at him. "Ahh... I guess I'll walk," he said in a defeated voice. Standing, he let Misty lead him away. 

* * *

"Hey Ashy-boy!" Gary smirked as they approached. He was already being held, with a lassoe identical to that one imprisoning Ash wrapped around his chest and arms. One of his many cheerleaders held the other end, looking pleased with herself. "Looks like you got caught after all!" 

"So did you!" Ash shot back, irritated. 

Gary's smirk, if anything, only grew more infuriorating. "I knew _she'd_ be the one leading you back here," he snickered. "One of these days, she had to catch you." 

Ash moaned. The was a nightmare. Could it get any worse? 

"Hey Ash!" Brock was led in beside him by a tall, brown-haired girl. He was grinning like crazy. "I sure am lucky, huh? Hey..." He grinned. "So you got caught by Misty. Well, well, well." 

Ash closed his eyes, fervently wishing the ground would somehow open up and swallow him. "What'd I ever do to deserve this?" he muttered, under his breath. 

"Everybody listen up!" Officer Jenny announced. "Don't any of you forget to pick up your coupons that insure you a free dress or tuxedo rental. And girls, if any of these guys refuse to follow through with their obligation, come see me and I'll straighten them out for you!" 

"Pikachuu!" Pikachuu added firmly, waving one tiny finger at Ash. 

"Whose side are you on, anyway?" Ash demanded, but Misty yanked on the rope and led him away before he could get an answer. 

Ash sighed and resigned himself to his fate. 


	3. Part 3: The Date

  


  
Ash eyed himself in the mirror gloomily. "This is the most horrible thing I've ever had to deal with in my whole life!" 

Brock grinned. "The tux?" 

"The whole thing!" Ash moaned, slumping back into a chair. "Brock, how can I take Misty to that ball?" 

"Put on a tux, lead her to the ballroom, and dance with her all night long," Brock answered casually. "Oh yeah," he added, teasingly, "and don't forget the goodnight kiss." 

"How could I ever forget that?" Ash buried his face in his hands. "I'll never survive this! Misty won't let me forget it, either. She'll probably be gloating all night." 

Brock patted his shoulder. "It won't be _that_ bad, Ash. Misty's not really as cruel as you think. I bet you two will have a lot of fun tonight." 

"_She'll_ have a lot of fun," Ash corrected. "And she'll do it by forcing me to suffer. You know Misty. She probably caught me just because she wanted to torture me." 

Silence answered him. Looking up, Ash caught the odd look Brock was giving him. "What's the matter?" 

"Do you really think that's why she caught you?" the older boy asked, almost incredulously. "You think she followed you, waited for you to come out of hiding and then took you by surprise -- just to torture you?" 

"Would you put it past her? This is Misty we're talking about!" Ash felt almost defensive. Why else would Misty want to catch _him?_

Brock shook his head. "You've got a lot to learn, Ash." 

"What do you mean?" 

A sigh. "Misty likes you, obviously!" 

Ash blinked. "Yeah, so? She likes _you_ too. So why didn't she try to catch you?" 

"Wha... but..." Brock sputtered for a minute, then shook his head. "That's not the same kind of 'like'!" 

Ash made a face. "Brock, sometimes you're really confusing." 

"And sometimes _you're_ really frustrating," Brock growled. 

* * *

_This is it._ Ash slouched miserably in his rented tux. _No more stalling._ He raised a fist that felt like lead and knocked on the door of Misty's hotel room. 

The door swung open almost immediately, and Ash found himself facing a girl he'd never seen before. "You must be Ash." She looked him up and down, then smiled. "Nice to meet you." 

Ash blinked. "Who are you?" 

"My name's Tammy." She opened the door wider. "Misty's not quite ready yet. Come in and sit down." 

Her words had a kind of practiced note to them. Ash sat down, feeling bemused. What was going on? Was Misty planning some kind of trick on him? He was starting to feel nervous. 

"You look a little tense," Tammy noted, sounding amused. "Too much coffee, maybe?" She covered a smile. 

Ash frowned at her. Was _everyone_ laughing at him? "Maybe I should go lie down," he said, jumping up. "Tell Misty I'm sorry I -- erk!" He was brought up short by Tammy shoving him back into his seat. 

"Oh, relax," she told him. "I was just kidding. Anyway, you wouldn't want Officer Jenny after you." 

"I guess not." Ash slumped forward. 

"Cheer up," Tammy said. "You look like you're going to a funeral." 

"I am," Ash answered gloomily. "Mine." 

She grinned and shook her head. 

Another girl stuck her head out of the bathroom door. "Tammy?" she called, crooking a finger. She glanced over at Ash and giggled. Tammy headed for the bathroom, tossing a mischievous smile back at the unfortunate trainer. 

Left alone, Ash couldn't help worrying. The whole thing felt like a well-rehearsed play. _What is Misty up to, anyway?_ he wondered suspiciously. Not for the first time, he had to question whether or not he would survive the evening. 

The door opened again, and Tammy walked out, followed by the other girl from before. Grinning, they stood on either side of the door. Ash watched them warily. 

"Your date for the evening," Tammy announced grandly, and opened the door. 

Ash blinked. The girl standing in the doorway was definitely Misty, but she was -- well, polished. Her hair had been done neatly in a twisting arrangement of braids on top of her head. Her face was... enhanced, almost. For some reason, her eyes seemed more blue than usual. She had picked out a typical sort of gown: sleek at the top and loosening at the waist to flow all around her in soft blue waves. And, to top it all off, she had silver jewelry sparkling at her ears and around her neck. The effort put into the whole thing was obviously huge; it looked like she'd spent hours slaving over it. 

Almost immediately, Ash felt guilty for his earlier thoughts. _I guess she's really taking this whole 'ball' thing seriously._ He realized he was staring, and blinked again. 

"Sorry it took so long," Misty apologized sweetly, looking expectantly at him. She spread her arms a little. "What do you think, Ash?" 

"Wow..." Ash felt he had to say something that would make all that hard work worth it. "You look really nice, Misty," he said honestly. It wasn't enough -- but he meant it. 

She smiled, almost triumphantly. "Thank you. You don't look half-bad yourself." 

"Uh... thanks." Ash blinked. "I guess we should go now. We're kind of late." 

"All right." Misty grabbed his arm and tucked hers into it. "Lead the way." 

"Have fun at your funeral," Tammy laughed, as they went out the door. 

Misty gave Ash a quizzical look. "What did she mean by that?" 

"Ah... nothing," he said, a little too quickly, then changed the subject. "Just to make sure, you know that I don't know how to dance, right?" 

"Don't worry so much, Ash," Misty replied nonchalantly. "It's not hard to learn. I'll teach you." 

"Great," Ash mumbled. 

Misty laughed. "Oh, don't be such a downer! We'll have fun. You'll see." She stopped then and turned to face him. "I know you're not happy about this, Ash, but could you please at least _try_ to enjoy yourself tonight." 

Ash looked at her in surprise. _She actually looks sincere_ "OK, Misty," he said finally. "If it means that much to you, I'll try to have fun, but only on one condition." 

"What's that?" 

"We eat _first_." 

She laughed. "Come on, let's go." 

* * *

"I don't like this." 

"Come _on_, it's not that hard. Put one hand _here_ -- " 

"I know that part; it's the steps I don't get!" 

"Oh, you just follow a rhythm. _One_, two, _one_ two..." 

"I'll walk all over your feet!" 

"Oh, _honestly_, Ash!" Misty frowned. "The only way you're going to learn is if you try! Remember what you promised me?" 

"I had lots of fun eating," Ash told her defensively. 

"I know." Misty rolled her eyes. "But you can have fun with this too, if you want to. You did say you'd try." 

"All right," Ash agreed dubiously. "If you're sure you don't mind having me step on your feet." He took her hand again and put his other hand on her waist. "Now what?" 

"Hey loser!" Gary sneered, from where he was dancing effortlessly with his cheerleader. "Maybe you should let your girlfriend lead!" He laughed. "_You_ obviously can't handle it!" 

Ash's face burned. "I'll show you who can't handle it!" Grabbing a surprised Misty, he spun her onto the floor and tried to imitate the other dancers. After stumbling a number of times, he managed to find a decent style -- or, at least, refrain from making _too_ much of an idiot of himself. 

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Misty grinned, eyes sparkling. 

"I guess it didn't kill me," Ash agreed. He was surprised to find himself enjoying it. There was more to dancing than holding a girl and pretending to be all sappy. "This is kinda fun, isn't it, Misty?" 

"I told you you'd like it," she answered, looking pleased. With a sigh, she slid her arm around his neck, leaning against his shoulder. "I should do something nice for Gary sometime," she murmured happily. 

Ash nearly stumbled, but caught himself and looked around for help. His eyes found Brock nearby, similarly burdened with the brown-haired girl who'd caught him. _Oh great... he's the last person I want to see right now._ He looked around again and spotted Gary off to one side. _Well, second last._

"Hey Ash," Brock greeted him, dancing over. He grinned. "Looks like you're having fun." 

Ash blinked, and thought that one through. "I guess I am," he answered, surprised at the conclusion. _Wow. I hadn't thought I'd enjoy this, but here I am having fun..._ "And I owe it all to Misty. I mean, if she hadn't caught me, I wouldn't be here. That must've been your reason for catching me all along, right, Misty?" 

"Well, part of it," she admitted. 

"I know the other part," Brock teased. 

"You keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you, Brock!" Misty retorted. He laughed and moved away into the group of dancers. 

"So what's the other part?" Ash asked curiously. 

"Well..." She shifted. "I mostly caught you because _I_ wanted to have fun tonight. Understand?" 

Ash struggled with that comment for a while. "Not really," he admitted. 

She sighed, then pulled him closer and laughed softly. "Ash, you're really frustrating sometimes, you know." 

"You know what? Brock said the same thing when we were getting ready. I wish I knew what you guys found so frustrating. Sometimes I don't understand a word you're saying." 

"I'll explain it to you some day," Misty promised absently. "Don't worry about it right now." 

"If you say so," Ash agreed dubiously, but he couldn't completely forget. Just what exactly was it that he was missing? 

* * *

"Isn't it nice out?" Misty sighed, looking over at the small lake they had to pass in order to get back to the hotel. She tugged at Ash's arm, which she'd already hooked around her own when they started walking. "Come on, Ash! Let's walk by the lake." 

"Walk by the lake?" Ash repeated. "What for?" 

"Because it's nice out," she answered. "Look how pretty everything is! It'll be fun, come on!" 

"In this?" Ash plucked at his tuxedo. "If we get these things dirty, we'll have to pay for them, remember?" 

"Oh yeah." Misty frowned. "Well... there's the hotel! We can get changed and then come back out here. What do you say, Ash?" 

_Do I have a choice?_ "Sure, I guess so." 

"Great! Then it's settled!" Misty said happily. 

_It was settled a long time before she asked me about it,_ Ash thought, as they entered the hotel. 

"Don't you forget, Ash Ketchum," Misty told him, opening the door to her room. "The date's not over until you give me that goodnight kiss!" She darted into the room and shut the door on him. 

Ash stared at the door in shock for a minute, then forced his numb legs to start walking. _I forgot about that part!_ he thought miserably. _I was hoping that she would too!_

He got changed in a hurry and draped the fancy clothes across a chair. _I wonder what Brock's going to think if he comes back and finds my clothes here but not me!_ He grinned at the thought. 

"What's so funny, Ash?" Misty asked, when me met her outside. 

"Oh, nothing." He chuckled. "I was just thinking, if Brock comes back first and finds my tuxedo, he's going to think someone kidnapped me and left my clothes behind!" 

She laughed. "Maybe your kidnapper didn't want the rental people to come after them!" 

"Makes sense." Ash smiled. "All right, let's go." 

For some reason, Misty had left her hair and face as they had been, even though she'd exchanged the dress for her usual clothes. And for whatever reason, Ash thought it looked interesting. He tilted his head a little as they walked and studied the effect. It was nice to look at. 

Misty noticed his gaze. "What are you looking at?" 

"Huh?" Ash blinked. "Oh. I just... Your hair looks nice like that, Misty." 

"She smiled and raised one hand to touch her hair. "You think so? It takes a long time to do, so I can't wear it like this every day... but it _is_ nice. Thank you, Ash." 

"You're welcome." Ash glanced over at the lake. "What's so great about this place anyway? It's too dark to see anything." 

"Don't be silly, Ash," Misty answered. "There's plenty of moonlight for us to see by. And everything looks so pretty. Isn't it nice out?" 

Ash looked at the lakeside area. "Sure, I guess so. Say... I wonder if there are any Pokemon hiding around here! Maybe I could catch some!" 

Misty sighed. "Don't you ever stop thinking about Pokemon?" 

"Well... no." Ash blinked, surprised by the question. "I'm going to be a Pokemon Master one day, remember? I have to stay focussed." Misty harumphed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hey, what's the matter?" 

"Can't you just forget about that for tonight?" Misty asked, looking irritated. "This is my night, and it's gone great so far! I don't want it to end with us fighting." 

Ash sighed. "OK, fine. You caught me, and it's your night. But I've been doing my best to have fun like you said, and I thought I could find something to do by the lake that I'd like. You _said_ I should try and enjoy myself, remember?" 

Misty frowned, then looked thoughtful. "Well, I guess you do have a point." Her face suddenly split into an evil-looking grin. "I know! We can go swimming!" 

"Swimming?" Ash backed up a step, not liking the look on Misty's face. "But I don't have a suit!" 

"Oh really?" Misty took a step forward, and Ash took another step backward. "Well, that's too bad. Your clothes are going to get awfully wet!" She suddenly shoved Ash backward, and he fell with a splash in knee-high water. 

"Hey! That wasn't fair!" Ash shivered. "It's cold in here!" 

"Some Pokemon Master!" Misty laughed. "Afraid of a little cold water!" 

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you come in here!" Ash challenged. "Unless _you're_ afraid of a little cold water!" 

"Hah! Water Pokemon trainers are used to cold water!" Misty splashed to a seat beside Ash. "Yikes! It _is_ cold!" 

"I thought Water Pokemon trainers were used to cold water," Ash said teasingly. 

"We are! But that doesn't mean I have to like it!" Misty stood up, dripping water. "Come on. I want to see the hotel manager's face when we walk in and drip water all over his nice, clean floor!" 

Ash laughed. "He'll go through the roof!" He stood and eagerly followed Misty back to the hotel. 

* * *

"Well, that was lots of fun! See you tomorrow!" Ash tried to make a dash for his room, but was brought up short (once again) by Misty's hand grabbing his collar. 

"Hold it right there!" she commanded, grinning wickedly. "Aren't you forgetting something, Ash?" 

"Uh... I don't think so." Ash studied the ceiling. For some reason, he found it absolutely fascinating. 

"You owe me a kiss," she reminded him sweetly. "Or had you forgotten already? You're not getting away without paying up!" 

Ash groaned. "Couldn't you take an I.O.U.?" 

"Not a chance!" Misty grinned evilly. "I want my kiss _now!_" 

_Oh great..._ Ash sighed, and tried for a super-fast peck on the cheek. Misty, however, had other ideas. She turned her head and caught his lips in a full, mouth-to-mouth kiss. Ash's arms and legs went completely rigid, and his eyes opened as wide as they could go. 

"Hey, Ash, did you...?" Brock's voice trailed off. 

Misty pulled away and smiled sweetly at Brock, as if nothing had happened. "See you guys tomorrow morning!" she said cheerfully, then walked into her room and shut the door right in a shocked Ash's face. 

He gaped after her. 

"Well, _that_ was interesting." Brock grinned at Ash. "I guess your date with Misty wasn't as horrible as you thought it would be, huh?" 

Ash put one hand to his mouth and blinked, still staring at Misty's door. "Did you say something, Brock?" he asked, seeming distracted. 

Brock grabbed Ash's shoulders and turned him around. "Our room is _this_ way, Ash," he informed the younger boy, leading him in the proper direction. 

"Uh huh." Ash had a goofy grin on his face. 

Behind her door, Misty smiled. 

THE END


End file.
